• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Recipe Index
  • Savory Recipes
  • Sweet Recipes
  • How To's
  • About Me

The Bossy Kitchen

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • Savory Recipes
  • Sweet Recipes
  • How To's
  • About Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipe Index
    • Savory Recipes
    • Sweet Recipes
    • How To's
    • About Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    The Bossy Kitchen > Recipes > Sweet Recipes > Sweet Breads, Muffins and Scones

    Romanian Traditional Sweet Cheese Pastries- Poale In Brau(Branzoaice)

    Published by: Gabriela March 27, 2018 · Last modified: June 8, 2023 10 Comments
    4938 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Yummly
    • Email

    These traditional Romanian sweet cheese pastries- Poale in Brau(Branzoaice)- are considered an emblem of the Romanian region of Moldova and its cuisine. 

    Jump to Recipe

    The pastries are traditionally made with salty sheep cheese and served as a snack, with a little bit of sour cream next to them. A glass of dry white wine is also served.

    Romanian Traditional Sweet Cheese Pastries Poale In Brau- in a basket
    Jump to:
    • Why Do I Like This Recipe
    • What kind of cheese to use:
    • More recipes to love:
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Why Do I Like This Recipe

    These are delicious pastries to bake once in a while. Usually, they are made to be consumed as a snack, and the filling is made with salty cheese.

    If the pastries are served as dessert, Farmer's cheese is mixed with salty cheese, some sugar, and raisins to make the little pies sweeter.

    If sweet, the pastries are also sprinkled with powdered sugar. Sometimes, a little bit of honey is drizzled over them.

    As for the wine, if you serve them as a dessert, a sweet, light, red, or rose wine is perfect for them and traditional.

    The recipe is so delicious that now it is made not only in Moldova but also in Romania's other regions.

    I had them both salty and sweet, and I have to tell you that I loved both versions.

    Making authentic ones isn't easy because of the ingredients. The cheese is what makes them unique.

    However, I encourage you to make them with the cheese you have available, so you can get a glimpse of what they are.

    Romanian Traditional Sweet Cheese Pastries- Poale in Brau(Branzoaice) in a basket covered with a tea towel

    You might find the recipe intimidating, but it really is not.

    Things are pretty easy if you have a stand-up mixer to help you knead the dough.

    I used my Kitchen Aid, which I love because it saves a lot of time.

    Also, in this recipe, because I used a mixer, most ingredients are incorporated at once, so you don't need to be worried about working with yeast if you don't have much experience.

    What kind of cheese to use:

    If you live in the United States and would like to make this recipe, look for Farmer's Cheese.

    It is a fresh cheese with a small curd, and it is not salty.

    In Europe, you will probably find this Farmer's Cheese under the name "cottage cheese."

    The closest to this cheese in the US is ricotta, which you can try to substitute. OR, you can make Farmer's Cheese at home, which is easier than you think.

    The recipe also has some semolina added to the cheese filling.

    The semolina absorbs the cheese's moisture in case it is too wet.

    If you make it for the first time, stay true to the recipe and use the ingredients indicated on the list.

    These pastries are sweet, as I used Farmer's cheese, a little bit of sugar, and raisins in the filling.

    If you want to make them savory, use a good Feta cheese.

    You can also mix it with some Farmer's cheese for a milder taste. You will not be sorry!

    Romanian Traditional Sweet Cheese Pastries- Poale In Brau(Branzoaice) on a white plate

    If you make them, feel free to snap a picture and post it in the comments. I am curious to see what you came up with and if you liked it. Enjoy!

    Interested in another delicious snack made with yeast dough? Try the recipe of Mucenici, another traditional Romanian one.

    More recipes to love:

    Farmer Cheese Sweet Pastries

    Easy Puff Pastry Recipes

    Fennel and Orange Salad

    Mini Peppers Stuffed With Farmer Cheese

    📖 Recipe

    Romanian Traditional Sweet Cheese Pastries- Poale in Brau(Branzoaice) are considered to be an emblem of the region of Moldova and its cuisine. The pastries are traditionally made with salty sheep cheese and served as a snack, or with Farmer's Cheese, sugar and raisins for a delicious dessert.

    Romanian Traditional Sweet Cheese Pastries- Poale In Brau(Branzoaice)

    Romanian Traditional Sweet Cheese Pastries- Poale in Brau(Branzoaice) are considered to be an emblem of the region of Moldova and its cuisine. The pastries are traditionally made with salty sheep cheese and served as a snack or with Farmer's Cheese, sugar, and raisins for a delicious dessert.
    4.79 from 14 votes
    Print Pin Share GrowSaved! Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Romanian
    Keyword: best cheese pastries, cheese pastries, easy cheese pastries, pastries, Romanian Traditional Sweet Cheese Pastries- Poale in Brau(Branzoaice)
    Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Inactive Time: 1 hour hour
    Total Time: 2 hours hours
    Servings: 12 pastries
    Calories: 435kcal
    Author: Gabriela

    Equipment

    • KitchenAid Mixer
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
    • ⅓ cups granulated sugar
    • 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
    • a pinch of salt
    • 1 lemon zest
    • 2 large egg yolks
    • 3 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
    • 1 ¼ cups warm milk
    • 17.6 ounces Farmer's cheese
    • 2 large eggs
    • a pinch of salt
    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 lemon zest
    • 1 cup raisins
    • ½ cup semolina

    Instructions

    How to make the dough:

    • In a KitchenAid mixer, place flour, egg yolks, butter, sugar, salt, lemon zest, and yeast. With the dough hook attached at low speed, start mixing the ingredients on low speed.
    • Add warm milk little by little to form a dough.
    • When the dough is formed, increase the mixer's speed to medium and let the mixer knead the dough for about 10 minutes.
    • The dough should be elastic, smooth, and not sticky. Remove the dough from the mixer and place it in an oiled bowl. Cover the dough with plastic foil or a clean kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm place until it doubles in volume.

    How To Make The Filling:

    • While the dough is rising, prepare the filling.
    • Beat well the two eggs and add them to the farmer's cheese. Add vanilla, lemon zest, a pinch of salt, raisins, and semolina. If the cheese mixture is too runny, add another tablespoon of semolina until you get a creamy consistency.
    • Mix well to incorporate the ingredients.

    How to Make The Pastries:

    • Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Cover the bottom of a baking tray with parchment paper and set it aside.
    • After the dough has doubled in volume, sprinkle some flour on the working surface and dump the dough on the table. Split the dough in half.
    • Grab half of the dough and roll it with the rolling pin. You should end up with a square approx. 12x12 inches.
    • Cut the dough into six equal squares using a knife.
    • Place a full spoon of the cheese filling in the middle of a square. Fold two opposite corners towards the middle and press well to make sure they stick together. Then, fold the other two opposite corners so you end up having a pastry that looks like an envelope.
    • Place it on the tray and continue the same with the rest of the dough.
    • You should have 12 pastries.
    • Do not overcrowd the pastries. Place only about six pastries on the tray, as they will quite rise during baking.
    • Beat an egg and brush each pastry with it.
    • Bake them for about 25-30 mins or until golden brown.
    • Remove them from the tray, let them cool on a rack, then sprinkle powder sugar over them. (the powder sugar is optional)

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 435kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 190mg | Potassium: 126mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 228IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe?Please leave a comment on the blog or like us on Facebook!

    More SWEET BREADS / MUFFINS / SCONES

    • Marble pound cake with powdered sugar square photo0
      Easy Marble Pound Cake Recipe
    • Slices of banana bread square photo11
      Easy Banana Bread With Sour Cream
    • Blueberry Muffins square photo0
      Classic Blueberry Muffins
    • Cranberry Orange Banana Bread Featured picture0
      Cranberry Orange Banana Bread
    4938 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Yummly
    • Email

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Anonymous says

      March 02, 2019 at 11:32 pm

      5 stars

      Reply
    2. Ronald James Toma says

      December 23, 2020 at 2:50 pm

      My Romanian grandfather used to make us a pastry he called a “scavarette “ it was triangular and fried in lard forming bubbles on top! We would put sugar on them as children! Like a pizza slices size donut! Can you help me with recipe info?

      Reply
      • The Bossy Kitchen says

        December 23, 2020 at 7:42 pm

        Hi, I do not have a recipe on my blog, but I think you refer to "scovergi"(Romanian term for them), a bread dough fried in fat and sprinkled with sugar, as you said. I found a Romanian website that has the recipe, but you will have to use Google translate to figure out the ingredients and how to make them. https://www.lauraadamache.ro/2016/09/scovergi.html. I hope this helps. Awesome memories!

        Reply
    3. Mara Morey says

      February 26, 2021 at 7:59 am

      Buna, ma bucur ca am gasit acest blog. Am cautat pe google "branzoici" si m-am ales si cu o reteta pentru homemade cheese!!
      Sunt din Romania si am venit in America acum un an (pentru prima data, acum 3) si mi-e DOR de tot ce avem in Romania si nu stim sa apreciem pana nu le mai avem, cum e in cazul meu.
      Nu am apreciat puii si porcii crescuti de bunica, legumele crescute in gradina de tata, branza de la taran, la care nici nu poti visa in America.
      Acum imi pare rau ca nu le-am stiut aprecia cat timp am fost acasa si imi e dor de ingrediente bio care au gust. Acesta este cel mai mare regret al meu.
      Am 23 de ani si o viata inainte!

      Va pup, keep up the nice work,
      Mara

      Reply
      • The Bossy Kitchen says

        March 01, 2021 at 4:40 pm

        Buna Mara, Si eu ma bucur ca ai gasit blogul meu si sper din toata inima sa gasesti cateva retete interesante pe care sa le faci. Sunt convinsa ca iti vei gasi magazinele si siturile de unde sa iti comanzi produse asemanatoare celor din Romania. Clar mancarea nu este la fel. Eu m-am apucat aici sa imi fac gemuri, zacusca, sa imi pun muraturi, iar restul le-am cumparat de la magazinele locale sau online. Incearca magazinele etnice din zona unde locuiesti, poate mai gasesti cate ceva. Eu m-am adaptat, ca nu am avut incotro. Iti doresc succes si nu te descuraja, solutii exista ca sa-ti creezi universul tau apropiat de cel de acasa. Multumesc pentru vizita si nu ezita sa imi scrii daca ai intrebari.:-)

        Reply
    4. Mara Morey says

      April 27, 2021 at 4:36 pm

      Buna, am sa va scriu aici, pentru ca nu stiu unde altundeva.
      As vrea sa fac placinte, dar nu stiu care faina ar fi cea mai potrivita. Stiti dumneavoastra? Ati incercat sa faceti?
      Daca nu, ce faina mi-ati recomanda? Multumesc!

      Reply
      • The Bossy Kitchen says

        April 27, 2021 at 5:06 pm

        Buna Mara, Unde locuiesti? Nu stiu daca vrei sa faci placintele din reteta unde mi-ai scris, pentru ca aici am specificat all purpose flour, faina care se gaseste la orice magazin in Statele Unite. Daca nu locuiesti in SUA, atunci trebuie sa te uiti dupa o faina obisnuita, care se foloseste la orice. Fiecare tara are tipurile ei de faina, de aceea imi e greu sa te sfatuiesc, nestiind unde esti. Daca te afli in Romania, atunci e buna faina care are codul 550 pe punga. Din cate inteleg, este echivalentul fainii americane "all purpose".

        Reply
      • Mara Morey says

        April 27, 2021 at 7:22 pm

        @The Bossy Kitchen, sunt in New York si stiu ca mi-a spus mama ce foloseste ea acasa in Romania si nu stiam care ar fi echivalentul aici.

        Deci all purpose flour would work? Multumesc din nou!

        Reply
        • The Bossy Kitchen says

          April 28, 2021 at 11:43 am

          Da, all purpose flour.

          Reply
      • Ana Stan says

        December 27, 2021 at 7:05 pm

        @Mara Morey, HI Mara, eu sint in America de multi ani si din experienta mea zic ca faina 5 ROSES IS The best,dar si All PURPOSE E OK

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating





    Primary Sidebar

    Gabriela the creator of The Bossy Kitchen

    Hi! I am Gabriela and this is my virtual home. I am a self-taught cook and a trained Pastry Chef. I inherited the cooking genes from my maternal grandma and the love for baking from my paternal grandma.

    More about me →

    Check out our Latest Recipes

    Popular Recipes

    • Authentic Mexican Tinga de Pollo Chicken in Chipotle Tomato Sauce88
      Chicken Tinga (Mexican Tinga De Pollo)
    • Caldo de Pollo topped with radishes in a white bowl square image
      Caldo De Pollo (Chicken Soup Mexican Style) Recipe
    • How To Preserve Hot Peppers In Vinegar4
      How To Preserve Hot Peppers In Vinegar
    • Pickled Cucumbers In Vinegar Easy Recipe 1
      Pickled Cucumbers In Vinegar (Easy Recipe)
    • Fried chicken without flour square image0
      Fried Chicken Without Flour
    • Recipe for Peanut Butter Chicken0
      Peanut Butter Chicken Recipe

    Pumpkin Recipes

    • Pumpkin muffins on cloth napkin
      Easy Pumpkin Muffins Recipe
    • Easy Pumpkin Mac And Cheese66
      Easy Baked Pumpkin Mac And Cheese
    • Pumpkin pie bars with pecan crumble square photo0
      Best Pumpkin Pie Bars With Pecan Crumble
    • Pumpkin bread with fresh cranberries and pecans55
      Pumpkin Bread With Fresh Cranberries
    • Pumpkin Seed And Apricot Pumpkin Sweet Bread sliced with blue coffee mug and milk
      Apricot Pumpkin Bread (With Pumpkin Seeds)
    • Sausage Pumpkin Pinwheels on platter square size0
      Sausage Pumpkin Pinwheels Appetizers

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    The Bossy Kitchen

    About Me

    Work With Me!

    Subscribe to newsletter

    Info

    Disclaimer And Privacy Policy

    Accessibility Statement

    View our Web Stories

    A generic banner, sending you to my favorite products on Amazon.

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 TheBossyKitchen